This invention relates generally to painting accessories, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for carrying a paint tray.
Devices provided for carrying paint trays are known in the art. A number of paint tray carriers have been invented wherein some operate with common, readily available paint trays, while others are formed integrally with the tray carrier designed to work only with one specific unique paint tray. For example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,575,455; 3,731,843; 4,085,877; 4,023,702; Des. 297,676; Des. 321,070; 5,113,549 and Des 349,376 are designed to be attached to standard readily available alike paint trays. Importantly, it should be noted that none of these tray carriers are designed to accommodate paint trays of varying width, or to easily fold into a compact shape.
In contrast, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,637,034; 3,940;824; 4,205,411; 5,201,439; 5,511,279; and Des. 383,579 are specially designed tray carriers that are not adaptable for use with standard shaped paint trays. Accordingly, these designs do not adapt to other paint trays of varying width, and typically do not fold to a compact storage configuration.
While most the above noted paint tray carriers adequately perform the task of carrying a tray of paint, they generally lack either the adaptability to work with standard paint trays of varying width, or alternatively, their special design prevents operation with standard paint trays.
Accordingly, a need remains for a simple adjustable paint tray carrier that can adjust or fold from a compact position to an open position to accommodate engagement with the sidewalls of paint trays of the type where the spacing between opposing sidewalls varies from one paint tray to another as with small and large paint trays.
One object of the present invention is to enable the user thereof to easily and quickly carry a loaded paint tray to and from multiple work locations.
A second object is to reduce the amount of paint spilled when moving a full paint tray.
Another object is to reduce the cleanup time necessary following a painter""s work.
Yet another object is to increase the efficiency of painters.
A further object is to enable a painter to easily carry a paint tray without impeding the painter""s use of the tray.
Still another object is to enable a painter to easily handle and carry paint trays of varying widths.
The invention is an adjustable paint tray carrier. The paint tray carrier is provided for carrying and transporting a paint tray of the type having substantially parallel, vertically disposed, opposing spaced-apart side walls that define an upper perimeter lip. Primarily, the paint tray carrier comprises a first support arm that includes an upper supported end, a spaced-apart lower fastening end and a body disposed therebetween. Similarly an opposing second support arm is provided that includes an upper supported end, a spaced-apart lower fastening end and a body disposed therebetween. Additionally, the first support arm is pivotally connected to the second support arm to allow relative pivotal movement. In this way the distance between the lower fastening ends of the opposing support arms is variable.
In order to connect each support arm to a side wall of a paint tray, a clamp is disposed on the lower fastening end of each support arm. Importantly, the support arms are relatively pivotable from a first closed compact position where the lower fastening ends of the support arms are adjacently disposed, to a second open spread-apart position where each fastening end is disposed adjacent an opposing side wall of the paint tray. In this way, the clamp of each support arm can engage a respective side wall to secure the paint tray carrier to the paint tray. With this configuration, a user can grasp the supported ends of the support arms thereby easily moving the attached xe2x80x9cfilledxe2x80x9d paint tray to a desired location.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a spring clamp is employed, in combination with a biasing cam. A spring clamp would typically include an outer leg that opposes an inner leg, wherein the legs are normally sprung apart to receive a sidewall therebetween. With this construction, the biasing cam, and therefore the cam surface thereof can move from a first position where it exerts little biasing pressure, and where the spring clamp is in a first open position to receive a side wall of the paint tray therebetween, to a second position where the biasing cam exerts maximum biasing pressure, and where the spring clamp is moved to the second closed clamping position where an outer leg and an inner leg come together to apply clamping pressure to the respective side wall to secure the same to the paint tray carrier.